


Celestial Ball

by elbris



Category: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-20 09:54:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30003087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elbris/pseuds/elbris
Summary: This is happening during the Celestial Ball quest, and features Merula and Dylan Edwards (the MC)I DO NOT OWN THIS STORY, ONLY REPOSTING IT FROM THE BLUEMOONGAME WEBSITE (link of the original fanfic: https://www.bluemoongame.com/harry-potter-hogwarts-mystery/fanfiction/the-celestial-ball/part-1/)
Relationships: Player Character/Merula Snyde
Kudos: 3





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Only reposting this story, I did nothing more nor have I modified the text

I was laying comfortably in bed in my dorm, holding my notebook with one hand and the pen with another. I was trying to think of something nice to write to her. A new song, perhaps. Yes, I am quite confident she would like that. However, all the fuss with the Cursed Vaults had left me little time to focus on anything else. And it wasn’t like I didn’t want to spend time with her. Quite opposite, I used every single opportunity I had to be together with her. At first, she was unwilling to admit it, but both of us knew we enjoy each other’s company. Now I have to think of a good way to write this song, so she would like it…

“Dylan! There you are!” I heard Rowan’s voice as he rushed into the dormitory.

I slowly raised my head and looked at him. “Hey Rowan, what happened?”

“You should hurry to the Great Hall, apparently, Dumbledore wants to make an important announcement!” He answered with an excited tone. I could notice him smiling from ear to ear.

“All right, let’s see what it is about,” I replied.

“Do you think it could be something related to the vaults?” He asked.

“I don’t know…” I answered, still thinking about her. Perhaps, she’ll be there too…

The halls and corridors were quite lively these days. Despite the dangers that the vaults were presenting, most of the students were simply going about their daily lives. I simply could not do that. Not that I didn’t want to. In fact, I would prefer if I could lead a normal life here and worry only about my studies, but it wasn’t that simple. Since Jacob was directly involved, I found it rather impossible to sit idle and do nothing about the situation. So far, I’ve gotten numerous warnings from all the professors, but I have to find him. I have to make sure he’s all right. And I won’t be able to accomplish that by sitting idly… Also, there was her… Lately, she’s been driving me crazy. She was the cause of most of my sorrows, but also, some of the most joyful moments I had were with her. I can’t deny that I have feelings for her. And lately, those feelings are stronger and stronger…

“…so that way, I’ll remain remembered as the youngest professor Hogwarts has ever had. What do you think of that?” I suddenly snapped as Rowan asked me the question. Apparently, he was speaking for a while, but I couldn’t remember anything he was saying…

“Yes, indeed,” I nodded and smiled at him. At this point, it would be too rude to admit that I didn’t pay attention to him. He obviously cared a lot about becoming one of the youngest professors ever to teach at Hogwarts. Hopefully, his dream will come true one day.

The Great Hall was quite crowded today. It looks like everyone was eagerly awaiting Dumbledore’s announcement. To be fair, I also wonder what he wants to tell us. Whatever it is, I am sure it’s important, otherwise, he could simply relay it through the other professors.

“I suppose you’re wondering why I’ve called you here,” he started addressing us once everyone took their seats. “It is not to remind you to pick up after your pets in the castle…   
Though the behavior is strongly encouraged.”

I noticed Tulip flinching the moment he said that. I couldn’t help but chuckle slightly.

“It is with great pleasure that I announce to you that Hogwarts’ Celestial Ball is fast approaching,” he continued. “It is a festive event for your Year, held here in the Great Hall.   
There will be music, decorations, refreshments, and dancing. I’m sure you have many questions…”

“Yes! Will we get to help plan the Celestial Ball?” Penny was the first one to ask the question. I could notice she was so excited, she almost jumped out of her seat.

“A student will be elected to lead the decorating committee, Miss Haywood,” the Headmaster replied.

“Can I bring a date to the ball? I mean a person, not the fruit,” Barnaby asked with a confused look.

“Yes, everyone may attend the ball with a classmate as a guest, Mr. Lee,” Professor Dumbledore answered.

“What’s the dress code for the ball?” Andre was the next one to ask the question.

“The dress code, Mr. Egwu, is formal,” the Headmaster explained.

There were a couple of other students asking some questions and once everyone’s curiosity has been satisfied, Dumbledore addressed us once more.

“Students, you are dismissed to return to class. More details about the Celestial Ball will be provided in time.”  
Shortly after, most of the students started talking to each other, discussing various possibilities and options for the ball. Merula, on the other hand, didn’t hesitate to approach me as soon as the speech was over.

“What do you make of this ‘Celestial Ball’, Edwards?” She asked.

“The Celestial Ball sounds like a lot of fun! I can’t wait!” I answered, but not with complete honesty. To be fair, I want to go to the ball together with her, but I’ll need to wait for a nice opportunity to ask her out. After all, I want that to be a special sort of surprise, so I’ll need to think of a way to completely knock her off her feet. I really consider her ‘that special someone’, and I’m going to give it my best to make her feel that way.

“Of course you would say that,” she replied. I could notice a slight disappointment on her gorgeous face. Perhaps she wanted a different response? Maybe she was expecting me to ask her out already?

“Well, don’t tell me you aren’t at least a little bit interested in it?” I gave her a cheeky smile.

“Why would I be interested in such a silly event? I’m the most powerful witch at Hogwarts, I don’t care about something as trivial as some ball…” She answered with her usual, uninterested look.

“Of course you don’t,” I smiled once again, this time giving her a huge grin.

I couldn’t fail to notice her blushing slightly when I said this. Apparently, she does care about the ball, but she certainly doesn’t want to show it. Perhaps she is embarrassed by the other students, so she does not want them to notice it. I am fairly certain none of them would mind, but oh well.

“Whatever, Edwards…” She replied before going back to talk to Ismelda.

I should definitely think of a nice way to ask her to be my date. I guess I’ll write her a song, something to warm her heart. She always cheers up when I write it to her. But this time, I have to outdo myself. I doubt she’s uninterested in the ball, but either way, I should give it my best to make her feel better about attending it.

I could notice she would glance at my direction from time to time, while I was chatting with the rest of my friends. Everyone was so excited about the upcoming ball that no one noticed the two of us gazing at each other occasionally. I waited for an opportunity when nobody was looking at me to blow a kiss her way. She saw it and immediately blushed. 

Ismelda had her back turned to me, but she also saw her reaction, so she turned around to see what caused her friend to blush. I was just standing there, smiling casually, pretending that I don’t know what’s going on. While Ismelda was looking at me, semi-confused, Merula used the opportunity to blow a kiss my way. So she does care indeed! I was so happy that I couldn’t help but blush myself. I noticed she was smiling at me, with her usual smile, content that she managed to make me blush. And in all honesty, I am glad she did.


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This covers mainly the election of the head of the Celestial Ball decorating committee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being late, real life can be a bitch sometimes.
> 
> Anyway, here's the second chapter, enjoy!

“I can’t believe I’m saying yes, but… yes! Let’s help Penny to get the votes she needs to show all of Hogwarts her brilliant dance-decorating talents.” Bill said while eating his sandwich.

I somehow managed to convince him to help Penny get elected to lead the decorating committee. Honestly, I thought it would be impossible to persuade him, given the fact that Emily Tyler will be there. Thankfully, he’s a kind soul and I’m glad he’s my friend.

“Thanks, Bill. I’ll meet you at the Library soon,” I replied before leaving the Great Hall.

And now for the hard part… Bill is all nice and friendly, but I cannot predict what strategy Emily will use to convince others to vote for her. That’s why I’ve come with a backup plan that will almost guarantee Penny’s victory.

***

The Courtyard was fairly quiet today. Aside from a couple of students hanging around near the fountain, there weren’t that many outside. I noticed Merula sitting in one corner, reading something. She was very deep in her thoughts. By the looks of it, whatever she was reading had her full attention. She didn’t even notice me when I sat beside her.

“What are you reading?” I smiled while asking her the question.

She almost jumped when she heard my voice. Apparently, she was so fascinated with whatever she was reading that she did not notice me until I started talking. She quickly closed the book and moved it out of my sight. I could see a slight embarrassment on her.

“None of your business, Edwards,” she coldly answered. “Why are you skulking around? Don’t you have some stupid election to attend with your merry bunch of friends?”

I gently patted her hair, while giving her an even bigger smile. “I do. In fact, that is the reason why I’m here. That and the fact that I miss you…”

“Edwards, I told you how many times that we can’t be seen together… not like this.” She replied, trying to make an angry face. But I could notice that underneath, she was still   
blushing. She didn’t even try to move my hand away.

“Seen by who exactly? The only ones here besides us are those two second-years playing Gobstones. And by the looks of it, they are too concentrated on their game to even notice us,” I said.

“Still, anyone could arrive at any moment. Imagine if any of the students saw me…” She started explaining.

“…the most powerful witch at Hogwarts snuggling with the ‘cursed mad Gryffindor,’” I interrupted her.

“That’s not what I was going to say! I hate you!” She crossed her arms and turned away from me.

She looked so cute at that moment, I instantly started laughing.

“I should definitely blast you with the Knockback Jinx more often! Perhaps that will remove the stupid smile from your face.” My laughter surely had an effect on her.

“And make me like you even more!” I tried saying it with a serious voice, but I just couldn’t stop smiling at her cuteness.

“Shut up! Besides, why are you really here? You said it has something to do with that ridiculous elections?” She asked, trying to change the topic.

“Yes, about that… I need your help…” I answered.

“Why would you need my help? Don’t you have plenty of friends who could help you with that?” She gazed at me with a curious look.

“I do, but none of them could do this better than you,” I started explaining. “The thing is, both Penny and Emily are trying to become the head of the decorating committee. Penny wants to win fair and square, but as for Emily… I am almost certain she won’t hesitate to use any means necessary to win the election.”

“And what does it have to do with me?” She asked.

“That’s where you step in. If you help me promote Penny’s campaign to other students, I am sure she’ll get enough votes to win. After all, Emily could try to use some dirty tricks, but no matter what she does, none of the students would be bold enough to vote for her, especially if the most powerful witch at Hogwarts kindly asks them to vote for Penny…”

She looked at me for a moment before she started grinning. “Perhaps the Sorting Hat was wrong about you, Edwards. You are way too cunning for a Gryffindor.”

“Does that mean you’ll help me?” I smiled cheekily at her.

“That means I like your idea. Now the question is, why would I help Penny win the election?” She asked.

“Well, because I asked you nicely…” I smiled again. “…And because I have a special surprise for you if you do.”

“What kind of surprise?” She looked at me curiously.

“Well, it wouldn’t be a surprise if I tell you now, would it?” I grinned.

“Ugh! Fine, I’ll help you!” She agreed to my proposition. “But if it turns out that you are messing with me, I’ll…”

“…hit me with a Knockback Jinx on every possible occasion.” I continued her sentence.

“Grrrr! I hate you!” She was making an angry face. I found it so cute every time I saw her like that.

“Just try not to be too aggressive when talking to students, we don’t want to… look out, Snape is coming!” I warned her.

“What, where?!” She turned her head to look at the door leading to the Courtyard. “I don’t see anyt…”

As she was turning back toward me, I used the opportunity to give her a big smooch on her right cheek.

“Love you! See you soon at the Library.” I said as I was getting up and leaving the Courtyard.

She stood there for a moment, speechless as if she was struck by the Full Body-Bind Curse. When I was about to leave the Courtyard, I turned my head to look at her one more time. She was smiling.

***

Madam Pince was still counting the votes from everyone. She wanted to make sure that everything is in order. Needless to say, she didn’t want help from any of the students. I noticed Penny standing there, all nervous, waiting for the outcome of the election. Apparently, this means a great deal to her. To be fair, I am quite sure she’ll win. I didn’t tell her anything about Merula’s involvement. I found it quite hilarious when I was observing her persuading other students to vote for Penny. She was actually talking to most of them in a fairly pleasant tone. Well, as pleasant as she can be, to be fair. But most of them were just nodding and making various scared faces.

“The votes have been counted and…” Madam Pince interrupted the awkward silence. “Miss Haywood wins. She will lead the Celestial Ball decorating committee.”

“THANK YOU, EVERYONE!” Penny shouted while smiling at all the students present in the library.

“SHHHH! This is still the library!” Madam Pince reminded her.

“Sorry! I just want everyone to know we’ll have a beautiful star-filled Celestial Ball!” Penny explained.

“Congratulations, Penny!” I smiled at her. I was really glad she won. To be honest, I have no doubts that she’ll make excellent decorations for the ball.

“How can this be? I thought all of my friends would vote.” Emily angrily stated. I could sense a lot of negative energy radiating from her.

“Perhaps all of your friends DID vote,” Barnaby replied. “How many friends do you have? One… Two…”

“Barnaby’s not out to insult you, Emily. He’s genuinely counting.” I said, trying so hard not to burst in laughter.

“Very well then. Now everyone get back to quietly studying, or leave the library at once.” Madam Pince ordered.

“I can’t thank you enough for believing in me.” Penny turned to me, still filled with happiness.

“Of course, Penny! I’m glad we could help.” I replied.

“I hope you’ll help me make the decorations, too! Meet me in the Charms Classroom!” She kindly said before leaving the library.

“Don’t think you’ll rope me into making decorations, Dylan. My work here is done.” Bill quickly stated before I could even think of asking for his help again.

“Thanks again, Bill. I know it must have been awkward to be around Emily,” I replied. “But your help meant quite a lot to Penny.”

“And it seems Penny means quite a lot to you…?” He asked with a friendly smile.

“Of course, Penny has been a good friend to me. She’s always helpful. I’m glad I could help her in return.” I answered honestly. Apparently, he isn’t aware that I’m crazy about Merula. In fact, I am fairly certain that none of my friends know about it. I personally wouldn’t mind them knowing, but she prefers to keep our relationship a secret. I guess she’s quite embarrassed to show that side of her to anyone else.

“It’s been fun hanging out with you, Dylan. I should get to class,” Bill said before leaving.

When he left there were only a few of us left in the library. I noticed Merula standing with Ismelda, talking about something. I winked and smiled at her while nobody was looking. Then I quickly made a heart symbol with my hands before leaving the library. She smiled back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to read the original second chapter with screenshots from the game, here is the link : https://www.bluemoongame.com/harry-potter-hogwarts-mystery/fanfiction/the-celestial-ball/part-2/


	3. Asking for a date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which MC asks his crush to be his date for the Celestial Ball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is Part 3 guys, enjoy!
> 
> As always, nothing is mine, this chapter directly comes from here: https://www.bluemoongame.com/harry-potter-hogwarts-mystery/fanfiction/the-celestial-ball/part-3/

This class is taking forever… I don’t know why, but now that the ball is almost here, I have a strange feeling of anxiety. I still haven’t asked Merula to be my date. Frankly, I have yet to work on a surprise for her. I decided to write a special song to express how I feel about her. However, I didn’t have much time to do so in the past few days. I’ve been helping Penny with the decorations and I’ve also helped Ben and Rowan with their preparations for the ball. Because of that, I didn’t have any spare time to see Merula and be with her… I could notice her frustration in class. She was sitting next to me, watching me with a serious look. She did an awesome job helping me promote Penny’s campaign and I’ve yet to fulfill my end of a bargain…

Most of the students finished their potions by now, but neither Merula nor I were close to finishing ours. The class was nearing its end, and I could tell that Rowan noticed that something is wrong with me.

“Is something bothering you, Dylan?” He asked me.

“I… there are a lot of things on my mind lately, I find it hard to focus on the class…” I answered.

“You’re anxious – about finding a Celestial Ball date!” He replied. Well, he wasn’t far from the truth, but I couldn’t just say that I wanted to ask Merula out, not with her sitting right next to us, it would certainly ruin my surprise…

“Some of us are trying to brew potions over here…” She joined the conversation, looking rather serious.

“Then don’t eavesdrop if you don’t want to be distracted,” I quickly replied.

“You’re talking too loudly. And not about anything interesting,” she said with a cold and calm tone. She is definitely upset.

“You don’t find the Celestial Ball to be an interesting topic?” I decided to be direct.

“I’m the most powerful witch at Hogwarts, Edwards. You think I care about a stupid dance? Or who you’re going with?” She made an uninterested face, but I could see right through her.

“I think you do care about who I’m going with,” I answered, unable to hide the smile from her.

“So you are going with someone then? Did many people ask you to go? How many?” She suddenly changed her expression from angry to worried.

“For someone who doesn’t care, you ask a lot of questions,” I replied with a cheeky smile. “It’s okay if no one’s asked you, Merula.”

“I know that!” She said angrily.

“No one’s asked Rowan or me, either,” I explained.

“So what? Stop talking!” She was trying to remain angry, but I could notice a sigh of relief when she realized I don’t have a date for the ball. “Professor Snape, Edwards is distracting me with Celestial Ball talk and I can’t finish my potion.”

It looks like she is quite uncomfortable talking about the topic that she had to ask Snape to interfere. Oh well, I totally understand her…

“Class dismissed…” He calmly said. “Except for you, Edwards. As punishment for disrupting Miss Snyde, stay and clean up the classroom.”

“Punishment? But I didn’t do anything wrong-” I tried to get out of the situation. I am pretty time-constrained as it is…

“I said, class dismissed. Everyone out!” He ordered.

Rowan gave me a sad look while he was leaving and Merula simply smiled wickedly at me before she left the classroom.

“Now, mutter to yourself about the ball as much as you like, so long as you’re cleaning,” Snape said once everyone was out.

“Actually, if I have to stay and clean as punishment, can I ask for your advice?” Perhaps he can tell me if I should respect Merula’s wishes and keep our relationship a secret or if I should invite her on a ball openly. I was pretty torn about that decision.

“No, you may not ask for my advice. That would be punishment for me,” he coldly replied. “Begin cleaning, Edwards…”

I considered several options while I was cleaning, but ultimately, the one I found the most appealing was writing a song to her and inviting her to the ball. If she declines, at least I tried, but if she accepts, it would simply be… great! I didn’t even realize how fast the time flew by, and before I knew it, the cleaning was over.

“I regret inviting you to ‘mutter to yourself about the ball.’” Snape said once I was finished.

“Sorry. I am trying to think of a way to ask the person I like to be my date for the ball.” I answered honestly.

“Yes, I heard. At length,” he replied.

“But at least your classroom is clean now.” I proudly pointed out.

“Indeed.” He simply nodded.

I was preparing to leave the classroom when I heard his voice. “Edwards?”

“Yes, Professor Snape?” I turned around.

“Thinking won’t work. You should let your heart decide for you. It might be against better judgment, but if you do not follow your heart, you might regret it for the rest of your life.” He advised me.

“Thank you, Professor Snape,” I said before leaving the classroom.

He does have a point. If I do not ask her, I will definitely regret it later. Now I have to finish the song and meet with her before it’s too late.

***

Gryffindor Common Room was fairly quiet and peaceful. Other than me, there wasn’t anyone else in here. I assume most of the students are preoccupied with their preparations for the ball. This gave me enough time to finish a song I was writing.

The Night of festivities is drawing near,  
Promising much joy, happiness, and fun,  
And yet, I’m still standing here,  
Afraid to do what must be done.

Too scared I am to talk to you,  
Too frightened to ask you out,  
I just don’t know what to do,  
And overcome all this doubt.

I’ve told you many times,  
How much I hate when we’re apart,  
And I’ll write a thousand rhymes,  
To show that you have all my heart.

So before it is too late,  
While the Sun is still in sight,  
I want to ask you to be my date,  
On this very special night.

I guess that’s it. I wish I had time to write some more, but I should hurry to meet her. I grabbed the note with a song and rushed out of my dorm.

***

Let’s see if she’ll show up… Liz said she’s going to ask Merula to meet me in the Courtyard. Hopefully, she’ll arrive… I was standing there, nervously waiting for her appearance. But what if she doesn’t like the song? What should I do then? No… I shouldn’t think about that. Everything will be all right! Oh, there she is…

I quickly left the envelope with a song near the fountain and hid behind one of the columns. She looked around to see if I’m there. Then she noticed the envelope and picked it up. Once again, she looked around to see if anyone is watching her before she started reading. I noticed a slight smile on her gorgeous face. When she was done reading, she took the note and held it tightly against her chest. I used the opportunity to sneak behind her and hug her.

“Surprise!” I said while embracing her. Then I gently kissed the right side of her slender neck. I could hear her gasping slightly.

She turned around to face me. Her face was all red. She was smiling at me. She was so close to me I could hear her breathing. I gently stroked her hair with my right hand while still embracing her. We silently looked at each other for a while. Then I closed my eyes and slowly connected her tender lips with my own. I could feel her hands tightly embracing me, firmly holding me like some valued treasure. We were so close, I felt her heart racing faster and faster while we were kissing. In that very moment, the entire world stopped spinning for me. I wish this could last forever… We remained like that for a while before our lips slowly separated from each other.

“Yes!” She said after opening her eyes. I could notice a big smile of happiness on her beautiful face.

“Yes?” I asked, confused for a moment.

“Yes, I will go to the Celestial Ball with you!” She almost shouted and hugged me firmly! “And just so you know, I won’t need to hit you with Knockback Jinx this time!”

“Well, I for one am sure we’ll have a great time there!” I was so happy. I felt the tingling sensation all over my body. I was flying high among the clouds of love and joy.

“I’d gotten an outfit, just in case. I can’t wait to see what you’ll wear.” She said, still smiling.

“You’ll see!” I winked at her before I started making my way to meet Andre about my outfit. “See you at the ball soon, love you!”

Right when I was about to leave the Courtyard, I heard her voice. “Dylan!”

I turned around and noticed her standing near the fountain, tightly holding the envelope against her chest.

“Love you too!” She yelled.

My heart was full.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, you will have the fourth and final part in two days, to keep a consistent posting rythm.


	4. Part 4 : The Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where MC and his date finally dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the final part, enjoy!
> 
> As usual, any mistakes come directly from the original source, which is: https://www.bluemoongame.com/harry-potter-hogwarts-mystery/fanfiction/the-celestial-ball/part-4/

“Andre, you’re incredible! Look at these outfits!” I praised his work while looking at the outfits he prepared for me. “I’d be lucky to wear any of them to the Celestial Ball!”

“But you can only choose one of them, so start trying them on!” He replied. “And hurry! I didn’t tell McGonagall I was moving ‘style headquarters’ into the Great Hall.”

There is not much time until the ball starts. In just a few hours, the Great Hall will be filled with students eager to dance and have a good time. I checked all of the outfits   
Andre prepared for me and started trying them out. To be fair, all of those were good. Their fabric felt really nice and they were not just stylish, but also comfortable. In the end, I settled for the classic outfit. I am almost sure Merula will like it.

“This is the one! I’ll wear this outfit to the ball!” I said to my friend once I’ve made up my mind. “Thank you again for everything, Andre.”

“You look smashing, Dylan! I’m glad I was able to help,” he replied. “It’s wild! One day I was just a wizard giving my Quidditch teammate a hard time for wearing mismatched socks…”

“Now you’re Andre Egwu: Style Wizard and it’s all my fault!” I said while chuckling slightly. To be fair, I’m sure he can consider a career in fashion should he decide to do so.

“Now I have to quickly shut down style operations and get ready myself! The ball will begin soon!” He reminded me.

“Thanks again, Andre! See you at the ball!” I replied to him before leaving the Great Hall.

***

It didn’t take me too long to get myself ready for tonight’s occasion. While I was leaving my Common Room, I noticed that everyone is happy and cheerful. Most of the students were on their way to the Great Hall, eager to have some fun time with their friends. The corridors were, perhaps, the merriest I’ve ever seen so far. There was so much laughter, chat, and happiness around. Once I entered the Great Hall, I noticed Dumbledore near the entrance, greeting students as they arrive. Everything looked so lively.

“Wotcher, Dylan! Smashing outfit!” Tonks approached to greet me. I have to admit, she looks quite different than her usual self, and in a good way!

“You look great too! And thank you, this outfit is all thanks to Andre!” I commented.

“Very nice!” She replied. “You know, rumor is, you’re only one of the few among our friends here who has a date to the ball! Likely because you’re the only one brave enough to ask someone.”

“Choosing an outfit at the last minute has made me ‘fashionably late!’ I should go find my date now!” I said.

I slowly started making my way through the Great Hall, still stunned by all of its magnificence. The decorations sure made it look spectacular. I noticed Ben and Rowan standing near one of the tables.

“Hello!” I greeted them. “So, aren’t you both glad you decided to come to the Celestial Ball?”

“Yes! And I’ve gotten so many compliments,” Rowan answered excitedly.

“Double yes! Everyone wants my hat,” Ben replied with a smile. This was one of the rare occasions I saw him smiling. And honestly, I’m glad both of them are having a nice time.

“Apologies, I need to steal Dylan for a moment!” Penny said as she arrived to greet us.

I followed her to the dance podium. We stopped there and she smiled at me.

“It may sound soppy, but I feel like you’ve been part of my Celestial Ball journey from the start!” She thanked me.

“And I feel the same way about our ‘Celestial Ball’ journey! The whole decoration committee situation has caused such drama! Has your name been announced yet?” I asked.

“Oh look, I think it’s about to happen now!” She replied.

Just as she said that The Headmaster started his speech. “Students, may I have your attention, please? I’d like to take a moment to recognize Penny Haywood, head of the Celestial Ball decorating committee.”

I could notice Penny jumping with excitement when she heard the praises.

“The Great Hall has never looked as stellar!” He continued. “Congratulations on a job well done. Enjoy the ball, everyone!”

“AAAAAAAH! I may explode with joy right now!” I could notice her grinning from ear to ear.

Shortly after, Bill arrived and joined us.

“Bill, you stopped by after all!” I greeted him.

“I promised Rowan I would. You look fantastic, by the way!” He replied.

“Thank you so much!” I was quite happy with his compliment. Hopefully, Merula will like it too.

“I was just complimenting Dylan, too!” Penny added.

“And did things work out for you with bringing a date, Dylan?” He asked.

“They certainly did! I’m here with-” I was about to answer that question, but I got interrupted before I could finish my sentence.

“Hello, everyone,” a familiar voice interrupted me. We turned around and noticed Emily Tyler approaching us.

“Emily, what are you even doing here?” Penny asked, completely surprised by her appearance.

“I came to see if your decoration theme turned out better then mine would have. It didn’t,” she answered arrogantly. “But mostly, I was looking for Bill and saw him walk in here.”

“Looking for me? Why?” Bill was caught surprised.

“To rescue you from these kids so we can spend some time together,” she started smirking.

“Kids? We’re not that much younger than you, Emily,” I replied. Now that was way too rude, even for someone like her.

“You want to spend time with me, Emily?” Bill curiously asked.

“Yes, I made a mistake rejecting you, Bill. And I don’t make mistakes often,” she admitted. “So let’s get away from this Celestial Ball nonsense you’ve gotten involved in. We can go to Three Broomsticks for a Butterbeer. What do you say?”

I noticed my friend standing there, thinking. He isn’t really considering accepting her offer?

“I say…” He started talking after a while. “Not if you were the last witch on the planet, Emily. You’ve been too rude to my friends and to me. If you’ll excuse me, I see Rowan.”

That said, he went to meet Rowan who was apparently, very excited about it.

“Bill would rather spend time with Rowan Khanna than me? Even if I were the last witch on the planet?” She was definitely not expecting that kind of reaction from him.

“Wasn’t ‘Planets’ your decorating theme? I much prefer Penny’s stars,” I replied.

“I’ll walk you out, Emily. And by the way, nice hair,” Penny said while grinning at her.

“Now I can’t tell if you mean that sincerely or not?” Emily was shocked by Penny’s compliment.

The two of them then left towards the entrance. Penny was really serious about escorting Emily out. Now to find Merula in all this crowd. I can’t wait to see her…

“Edwards! I was about to give up on you. I thought maybe you changed your mind,” I heard her voice and immediately turned around. She looked absolutely stunning. Her hair was neatly styled, which made her look really cute. She also wore an elegant black dress paired with black long gloves. She also had a nice looking green ribbon tied below her chest. It perfectly matched with her necklace and shoes. In one word, she looked – gorgeous.

“Merula! That’s quite a dress! You look beautiful!” I praised her, completely mesmerized by her beauty.

“Well, I made an effort,” she couldn’t hide the smile of satisfaction while saying that.

“You did, too. I mean, you look nice. Very nice. Now let’s check out this dance together.”

We slowly moved to the dance floor. I was holding her hand along the way. She seemed to like it, I could notice that she was smiling slightly and blushing on the way there. I couldn’t help but notice some of the other students staring at us. I am quite sure that none of them knew about our relationship. Many of them were whispering each other while pointing at us, but honestly, I didn’t mind it at all. She wasn’t as comfortable with all that like me, but I could say she wasn’t bothered too much.

The dance floor looked marvelous. While standing on it, I felt like I was among the stars. It really felt magical.

“I didn’t know what to expect tonight! All the planning and prepping and fretting… But the Celestial Ball has been quite special. And I think Tonks is right. Of our friends,   
we’re the only ones here who decided to go with a guest!” I said with a cheeky smile.

“I don’t know if I’m more surprised that I’m your date, or that you just lumped me in with your group of friends,” she pointed out.

“Well, we certainly gave them something to talk about. But I don’t regret it! I am happy that you agreed to come with me to the ball.” I replied.

“And I’m glad you’re my Celestial Ball date,” she added.

“Look, Flitwick is dancing! Hagrid has some moves, too!” Both of them were on the dance floor, having a great time.

“C’mon! Let’s go and dance the rest of the night away!” I suggested and she quickly nodded.

The two of us then started dancing to the music. I was surprised at her dancing skills. She had such elegant moves. I had just let myself go with the flow, so to say. This is the first time I ever danced with someone, so I was completely clueless, to be honest. Still, that didn’t prevent me from having a good time. Quite opposite, in fact. I was having a time of my life with the person very dear to me. And it wasn’t just us. Everyone was having a blast. This is perhaps one of the happiest times I’ve had at Hogwarts.

We danced like that for quite a while, until we both got tired and decided to rest a bit. We sat on one of the tables near the fireplace. There was plenty of food neatly decorated and placed there. Everything was… perfect. I couldn’t keep my eyes off Merula. I was so happy that I decided to ask her out. Snape was definitely right when he advised me. I am sure I would regret not asking her to be my date.

“That was a nice dance, I have to admit. You really have some moves.” I praised her.

“Well, I like to dance, I find it very enjoyable. Even more enjoyable than hitting you with the Knockback Jinx,” she grinned at me.

“Look, it seems that Sickleworth is having a lovely time too,” I pointed out. The Niffler was dancing surrounded by Penny, Tonks, and Tulip. It looked hilarious, but rather heartwarming nonetheless.

We spent the next few hours talking about all sorts of things. We discussed our past adventures and the moments we shared together, and before we knew it, the ball was nearing its end.

“I guess that’s it, Edwards. I had a nice time tonight, but it’s time to go back to my Common Room…” She said once everyone started leaving.

“Wait…” I said just as she was preparing to go.

“Yes?” She turned to me with a curious look.

“Let’s go to the Courtyard first. I want to watch the night sky with you…” I suggested.

“…Okay,” she agreed.

I grabbed her hand and we went outside. The night was very peaceful. Thousands of stars were decorating the night sky.

“It’s… beautiful…” She said while gazing at the sky.

“Often I would find myself coming here, observing the stars and thinking about you…” I turned toward her, gently holding her hands.

“Flatterer! You’re trying to make me blush,” she tried avoiding my gaze, but despite the night, I could see that she was all red.

“And it seems I am pretty successful at it,” I replied with a chuckle.

“Shut up Edwards!” She said with a grumpy voice.

I touched her cheek with my right hand and embraced her with left. She turned her gaze toward me. Her eyes were glittering with happiness. I could see the stars reflecting their light on her mesmerizing face. I gently patted her hair and slowly started approaching her lips with mine. Suddenly, she grabbed my head with both hands and kissed me passionately. Her lips were so tender, so sweet. I could feel all of the stars reflecting on us at that moment. Funny enough, the stars were a theme of the ball. My heart was pounding so fast. I felt as if the time had stopped and that all of my problems had vanished away. We remained like that for a while longer. I was so happy…

“There!” She said after our lips separated.

I embraced her in my arms and held her tightly against me. “I don’t ever want to let you go,” I said. “I don’t know what would I do if I lose you…”

“Well, since I am the most powerful witch at Hogwarts, you never will,” she replied.

“You know, it’s a funny thing…” I said.

“What?” She asked.

“Who knows what would’ve happened if Jacob never disappeared. I would probably never look for the Cursed Vaults and the two of us would likely never end up together… It’s a sweet irony of things…”

“Well, I am glad things turned out the way they did. If it weren’t for you, there would be no one to challenge me. This way is much more interesting.” She added.

“Anyway, I am glad you’re by my side…” I said while gently stroking her hair.

She then leaned against me and we sat near the fountain. We remained like that for some time, observing the stars and forgetting all of our troubles… at least for a while…

**Author's Note:**

> There will be one chapter per day, enjoy!


End file.
